Last week’s CPAC event in Orlando, attended by thousands of Florida conservatives, was a huge success for FreedomWorks and our supporters. More than 2,500 copies of our activist handbook, Rules for Patriots, were distributed at our exhibition booth, along with bumper magnets, brochures and handouts on the EPA Train Wreck. Several hundred attendees signed up to join the FreedomWorks team and hundreds more who are already part of our growing grassroots network stopped by to say hello to Chairman Dick Armey and President Matt Kibbe.

Kosher Tea, FreedomWorks’ outreach program to the Jewish community was once again a hit with our members. Hundreds of t-shirts promoting Kosher Tea were given out to local activists, and requests to host events all over the state will keep FreedomWorks active in Florida all the way through the 2012 election.

The launch of our new SuperPAC “FreedomWorks for America” took place at a Friday morning press conference and received positive coverage in local and national media outlets from the Miami Herald to The Hill and the New York Times. Later in the day, our members helped FreedomWorks-endorsed Senate candidate Adam Hasner win CPAC’s straw poll in a key victory that showed Hasner to be the frontrunner for next year’s Republican nomination. Reporting on the poll, the Washington Times said Hasner “benefited from endorsements from the tea party organizing group FreedomWorks.”

But the most exciting part of the entire CPAC event took place across the street at the Denny’s restaurant during lunch, where 75 activists gathered for a field hearing of the Tea Party Debt Commission. Along with FreedomWorks budget expert Dean Clancy, the activists discussed America’s ballooning debt crisis and proposed fiscally conservative solutions. The Debt Commission is part of an ongoing effort by FreedomWorks and our supporters to offer serious policy solutions consistent with tea party principles on pressing national issues.